[pct-l] Thru-riding, north to south

Tue May 10 18:07:51 CDT 2011

Dorian,
Eric Lee's post included some good advice. Indeed, renting a car would be a good 
idea - but I think you might consider doing more than just "day hikes". Assuming 
that you are capable of hiking, you might want to do multi-day and Section hikes 
in some areas difficult to access with horses. For example, Eric is mistaken 
about Harts Pass. Trailers are not allowed on the last 10 miles of that very 
narrow and steep unpaved road. But you can drive up to Harts Pass with a car. 
Then, hike to the Canadian Border and back. That is some of the grandest scenery 
on the PCT. It will be a highlight of your PCT experience. I rode it in both 
directions and the scenery is just as enjoyable going south - even after seeing 
it northbound. 

As for your ride experience, the Sections I recommend for you to consider would 
start at Seiad Valley in Northern California and end at McKenzie Pass in Oregon. 
Get a copy of the Wilderness Press PCT guide book on Oregon and Washington.  
Look over Sections A,B,C,D, and E.  The total distance is 331.2 miles and the 
Sections are all 76 miles or less, the lowest being 54 miles. That part of the 
PCT is likely to be doable for an experienced horseman with either one or two 
horses. Be sure to bring a saw as you will have to cut some trees yourself.  Of 
course I just rode one horse - a strong Arabian (they have shorter, stronger 
backs than other breeds, having fewer vertebra and ribs and stronger hind 
quarters they can carry more weight behind the saddle).  Part of the reason that 
I suggest that 331 mile part of the PCT is that I have an excellent contact who 
lives in Seiad Valley. Her ranch borders the southern trailhead of the PCT.  She 
is also very experienced packing with two horses and has several horses. She has 
ridden all of the Sections that I have mentioned. Perhaps she or someone she 
knows in that very small town might be willing to rent one or two horses to you. 
As for resupply, you would need just four locations.  I cached at each by 
leaving my horse with her and driving ahead. You could do that with your rental 
car and then drive it back to Seiad Valley. You would have to arrange to pay 
someone to pick you and the horses up at the northern end. You should definitely 
get a SPOT to communicate your progress by satellite. Cell phones usually don't 
work. 

Realize that there was near record snowfall last winter. There will be lots of 
downed trees and trail damage - slides, boulders, avalanches. You will have to 
do a lot of research on current trail conditions just prior to starting to 
determine if crews have been up to clear them for stock.

I am forwarding this correspondence to the Seiad Valley horse woman. She will 
respond if she has time and might be willing to help you this summer. 

MendoRider 

________________________________
From: Dorian <dorian.bannier at gmail.com>
To: Edward Anderson <mendoridered at yahoo.com>
Cc: pct-l at backcountry.net; Andrea Dinsmore <andrea at dinsmoreshikerhaven.com>
Sent: Tue, May 10, 2011 2:56:19 AM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Thru-riding, north to south

Mendorider, 

it seems that in fact I have underestimated the difficulty of the PCT. I will 
just look if some parts can be safely integrated in my route. Thank you to have 
bring my foot back to the ground. PCT seems far too isolated and hardcore for 
what I'm planning. I think that the official PCT website should emphasise a bit 
on this :)

Still, if you had the patience to point me parts of the PCT that are managable, 
it would be interesting for me. For information, with two horses, I should be 
able to be autonomous for 6 nights, if I'm able to find enough graze.

To be honest, I'm searching for good contacts able to advise me a bit, and 
moreover for a good starting point. Any help in these matters would be trully 
appreciated. But perhaps this is a bit too off topic on this list...

Dorian

2011/5/10 Edward Anderson <mendoridered at yahoo.com>

Dorian,
>
>You are GREATLY underestimating the difficulty of thru-riding the PCT. Over the 
>years many horses and mules have suffered and sometimes died of colic, have been 
>seriously injured, and have fallen to their deaths on the PCT. In 2009 two 
>riders started the PCT from the border of Mexico. Both had accidents. One horse 
>fell 50' off the trail and was badly injured. The other rider, sadly, killed 
>both horses when they fell several hundred feet. The rider was rescued by 
>helicopter - it was her third rescue. There are some parts that you could ride 
>safely. I have ridden more than 2000 miles of it and have been to both borders. 
>No colic. No injuries. I hope to be able to finish the Sierra part this summer.
>
>I am a member of the Long Riders Guild and have ridden over 46,000 miles in 
>nearly 29 years.  At the request of the Guild I have written an article for 
>their website  on the subject of advice to equestrians wishing to ride on the 
>PCT. I suggest that you should start your research by reading it at:       
>thelongridersguild.com-advice/pct
>
>We now have a stockmans forum on Postholer.  You can access the forum and other 
>information by typing in:         edandersonpct     
>
>I don't know of any feed stores on or near the PCT. You will definitely need a 
>truck and trailer - and perhaps someone to meet you at road crossings. 
>
>
>In several places it would be safer to not bring a second horse. I hope that you 
>realize that not all horses are equally capable of being ridden on the PCT. I 
>have written about what you should be looking for in a horse.
>
>You need to do a LOT of research if you are seriously considering riding a lot 
>of miles on the PCT. 
>
>MendoRider
>
>
> 
>
>
>
________________________________
From: Dorian <dorian.bannier at gmail.com>
>To: pct-l at backcountry.net
>Sent: Mon, May 9, 2011 10:46:54 AM
>Subject: [pct-l] Thru-riding, north to south
>
>Hello everybody, I'm new there, I just subscribed today. 
>
>
>My name is Dorian, and I will be coming in USA in one month to try to
>thru-ride from north to south. I'm a very experienced rider, and I decided
>some times ago to have a 6 months break to do such a trip. To be honest, I
>did not know about the PCT before yesterday, but it seems to fit perfectly
>
>well what I want to do. Of course, if some parts appear to me to difficult
>for the horses or for me, I'll just find an other way around these parts.
>
>I don't want to bother you, but I would like to ask few questions :
>
>- Firstly, I will need to buy the two horses I will need to do this trip. If
>any of you know a good ranch or farm near the north of the trail that would
>allow me to gather these two horses and take a week or two to train them a
>bit and get to know them, that would be wonderful.
>- It's a bit the same problem : is it easy to access the beginning of the
>PCT without following a big road for hours? I would prefer to access it 
>
>directly riding rather than having to pay for the transportation of the two
>horses.
>- I read that there are few feed stores near the trails. Is it still
>possible to make the whole trip (or most of it, like I said, I'm willing to
>ditch from the trail for some parts if needed) without a supply angel?
>
>Thank you all.
>
>Dorian
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